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A simple procedure is poised to significantly improve a woman's chance of getting pregnant while undergoing fertility treatments.

Researchers in Britain and Brazil found that gently scratching the lining of the womb in the month before IVF treatment increased the clinical pregnancy rate of women undergoing in vitro fertilization by 49 percent, compared to the current average of 29 percent.

As reported by The Telegraph, the procedure, known as endometrial scratching, also increased the number of live births from the current average of 23 percent to 42 percent.

"This is the first well-designed trial conducted into endometrial scratching and the results are promising," said study co-author Dr. Nick Raine-Fenning of the Nottingham University Research and Treatment Unit.

"Other trials have provided anecdotal evidence, but these have been limited and many questioned the validity of the technique."

Raine-Fenning collaborated with Brazilian scientists on the research, which will be presented at the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology World Congress in Sydney.

The study involved 158 British women who had previously received unsuccessful courses of reproductive treatment, which costs an average of £4,500 per cycle in Great Britain. The average cost in the U.S. is $12,400, according to The American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Of the total number of patients, 77 received the scratching procedure between 7 and 14 days prior to undergoing fertility treatment.

Of those women, 39 became pregnant with 33 experiencing live births. That's compared with 23 live births in the control group.

The technique may have a positive financial impact as well. It's estimated to add less than $200 to the cost of an IVF cycle. What's more, the procedure takes just 15 minutes and can be carried out by trained nurses using simple equipment already in use.

While researchers are not sure of the mechanisms at play, it is believed that scratching the lining of the womb stimulates growth factors and repair mechanisms to promote the implantation of the embryo.

Research is ongoing, and hopefully will be available stateside sooner, rather than later, for those struggling with infertility.